Curry-comb



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

O. CALVERT EGERTON, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

CURRY-COMB.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 253,522, dated February 14, 1882. Application filed November 22, 1 881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, 0. CALVERT EGERTON, of Baltimore city, State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Curry-Combs and I hereby declare the same to be fully, clearly, and exactly described as follows, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a central vertical sectional View of the device, and Fig.2 is a bottom plan of the same.

M y invention has for its object to provide a curry-comb, otherwise of the ordinary or wellknown construction, with means for practically lengthening or shortening the teeth, as may be desired.

Curry-combs as at present constructed, if provided with teeth long enough to penetrate through the coat to the skin of the animal upon the back and sides, are liable to cause pain to the animal in carrying the legs, belly, neck, and other parts whereon the hair is short, and are wholly unfit for carrying a clipped horse.

I have devised a curry-comb provided with a plate adapted to shorten the teeth, as it were,

and adapt the device for use whether the hair on the animal is long or short.

In the drawings, A is the plate, attached, as usual, by wires B to a handle, a, and having the rows of teeth b b.

O is a plate having slots 0 0, through which the teeth project, and in which they fit quite closely; and D- is a thumb-screw working in a nut, E, on the top plate, and riveted so as to turn freely in a boss, (1, formed on or secured to the lower plate. A pair of springs, e, is interposed between the plates A and 0, being riveted to either. It will be evident that upon turning the screw D the plates are made to approach or recede from each other, exposing more or less of the teeth of the comb.

The plate 0, in using the device where the coat is thick, is retracted so as to expose the teeth throughout their depth; but in currying a clipped horse, or where the hair is short or thin, the plate is lowered so as to partially cover the teeth.

The springs e are not absolutely essential, but are useful in preventing the loose plate from rattling, and in creating friction at the screw, preventing it from accidentally turning.

It is evident that the screw may engage with a nut on the inside of the lower plate, instead of being arranged as shown, and that other devices may be used for moving the lower plate toward or from the upper one. I do not limit myself to the precise arrangement described.

The slots in the plate 0 should be but little wider than the thickness of the sheet on which the teeth are formed, so that the latter fit quite closely in the slots, whereby the comb is readily cleaned by lowering the plate 0.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. A curry comb having a slotted plate, through which the teeth project, adjustable, so as to expose the teeth to any desired extent, and mechanism for rigidly securing the said platein any position to which it may be brought, as set forth.

2. In combination with the top plate and teeth, the slotted movable lower plate and actuating-screw, as set forth.

0. CALVERT EGERY'ION.

Witnesses:

B. D. WILLIAMS, W. A. BERTRAM.. 

